1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus containing attachable and removable replaceable parts such as a toner cartridge or the like.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, it is common for an electrophotographic image forming apparatus such as a copy machine, fax machine, or printer, to contain multiple development devices that each accommodate developers including prescribed toners and are disposed facing image holding bodies to make visible latent images formed on the image holding bodies. A toner supply vessel, such as a toner cartridge or toner bottle, is equipped externally to a toner supply unit of the development device at a time of maintenance for supplying the toner, for example.
In such a conventional image forming apparatus, to extract a counterfeit toner cartridge, two-way communication is executed between a communication unit on the side of the toner cartridge and a communication unit on the side of the apparatus main body. A judgment is then made as to whether the information concerning the toner cartridge received from the communication unit on the side of the toner cartridge indicates that the toner cartridge is suitable with the apparatus. In a case where the judgment is that the equipped toner cartridge is unsuitable, irregular image formation conditions, such as increased electrostatic potential, increased toner consumption due to a decreased amount of light for exposure, and a worsening of fusion ability due to a decrease in a fusion temperature, for example, are known to arise because of the extraction of counterfeit material from the unsuitable toner cartridge (see Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-284581).
In the image forming apparatus with the conventional structure described above, however, because the maintenance personnel of the manufacturer or the like is not aware of the continual usage of the unsuitable toner cartridge even where the apparatus is damaged through the continual use of the unsuitable toner cartridge, there is a problem that the damage cannot easily be prevented and the use of the unsuitable toner cartridge cannot be sufficiently restricted.